Ben Rortvedt only had about 10 minutes’ notice that he was starting in yesterday’s game after Will Smith’s late scratch, but he wasn’t bothered at all. He just showered, stretched, got some intel from Smith, and was ready to go, he told reporters after the game.
That’s exactly the attitude that has been making waves, at least for manager Dave Roberts. “He’s a backup catcher that’s there for his pitchers, and he’s done a great job of receiving, learning these pitchers and trying to understand what
they’re good at, to go through sequencing, targeting, and so it’s nice,” Roberts said after Tuesday’s game.
Rortvedt has been behind the plate for not one but two almost-no-hitters in his first few starts, a testament to that ability to support pitchers and call an effective game.
With Smith still not feeling great and Dalton Rushing likely out for a more extended period of time, it’s likely that Rortvedt will get even more action behind the plate as the season winds down. He’s not doing particularly well offensively—a .132 average over 76 at bats this season—but the Dodgers don’t necessarily need another slugger. They need a pro behind the plate, and Rortvedt seems to doing just fine there.
Dodgers Notes
Mookie Betts looks like his old self again, writes Sonja Chen at MLB.com, and not a moment too soon. Although the star considered his season lost just a month ago, he’s managed to turn those bad days into just a bad memory.
Shohei Ohtani is making his next start against the Philadelphia Phillies after some rotational reshuffles, according to Beth Harris at the Associated Press, and that’s not a bad thing. With the Phillies in playoff contention and the Dodgers still not playing their best, having Ohtani on the mound could be critical.
The Washington Nationals have their eyes on Dodgers senior vice president Josh Byrnes for their new head of baseball operations, according to Ken Rosenthal and his colleagues at The Athletic. The Nationals have been cleaning house lately, and Byrnes—who has been a familiar face in the Dodgers’ front office as the team transformed into a powerhouse—could be a nice fit.
